Living Out His Dream
September 08, 2022 | Football, Joel Coleman
Bulldog linebacker Jett Johnson worked until his fantasy become reality.
STARKVILLE – It was the wee hours of last Sunday morning when Jett Johnson chatted with reporters following Mississippi State's lightning-delayed win over Memphis. If there was any fatigue in him, the Bulldog linebacker didn't show it.
Only minutes after the contest wrapped up that'd seen Johnson shine with a team-high 13 tackles, he attacked each question with the same attention he'd give an opposing running back trying to evade his grasp.
Why wouldn't he? Johnson has longed for this. He's wanted all this for years. He embraces every single bit of being a Mississippi State Bulldog.
"Like I always say, I'm living the dream," Johnson said. "So that motivation and that fire is always there."
Indeed, with every stop during games – and even with every postgame question answered after them – Johnson is making a fantasy, reality.
GROWING UP IN MAROON AND WHITE
All Johnson has ever really known is being a Bulldog. He comes by it honest.
Johnson's father, Greg, is a huge Mississippi State fan. Greg spent part of his youth only about 30 miles from Starkville as he lived for a time in Weir, Mississippi, with his aunt and uncle – Joy and Don Chandler – who were and still are big State supporters.
The Johnsons' Weir ties are actually what eventually led to Jett adopting his No. 44 jersey. It was the same uniform number worn by Weir native, Mississippi State baseball signee and former Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt, who a young Jett admired.
But long before Jett was wearing his own No. 44 on Saturdays at Davis Wade Stadium, Greg was establishing his Bulldog roots. Working at the local grocery store in a place where everybody essentially knows everybody, Greg and family were often given tickets to Mississippi State sporting events.
Greg's love for the Bulldogs grew. By the time he was an adult with two kids of his own – Jett and Jett's older brother, Tate – one of the family's most treasured spots was the MSU campus.
They'd take it all in, too. There are too many memories for the Johnsons to count.
There were unforgettable times tailgating.
"I remember once, Jett was given some Mississippi State ice cream and they gave him the little wooden spoon," Greg recalls, laughing. "Jett didn't have a clue what to do with that wooden spoon. It was the first time he'd ever seen one."
There were big wins.
"My favorite moment was probably in '14 when we went to No. 1 in the nation," Jett said. "I was at the Texas A&M and Auburn games that we won. I was probably 14 or 15. It was a memory I'll never forget. ESPN College Gameday was there and all that. That was so awesome."
And yes, there was some heartbreak.
"I used to sit up there and cry every time we lost – me and my brother," Jett said. "I'm a Dawg through and through. It runs in our blood."
FROM THE STANDS TO THE SIDELINE
Of course, like many little boys that've sat in the stands at Davis Wade, Jett always wanted to one day be a Bulldog player himself. Jett earned himself that chance by becoming one of the state of Mississippi's top prep players in his days with Tupelo High.
By the time Jett's high school career ended, he was the top-ranked inside linebacker prospect in the Magnolia State per 247Sports. He was Mississippi's Class 6A Mr. Football as a senior – the first defensive player to ever win the award.
It was no accident either. There was a fire that burned inside of Jett. Even as a youngster, he simply wouldn't be outworked.
"He's always been that guy," Greg said of Jett. "When he was in the ninth grade, they practiced early in the day, then he had to go practice with the high school. There were times he'd literally leave football practice and workouts and then go to the gym to work out again."
Jett had committed to MSU prior to his senior year at Tupelo, then officially signed with State following the season, in December of 2017.
The boy who'd always wanted to be a Bulldog had made it.
"You're just so happy and proud for him," Greg said. "He did all the work and earned it."
BACK TO WORK
If Jett's story was playing out on the silver screen, perhaps he'd have suited up and been a star for Mississippi State immediately upon enrolling. Well, this was far from some Hollywood script.
Jett saw very little action over his first three years at MSU. His combined totals over the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons? Seven games. Five tackles. That was it.
But there was no pouting. In fact, there seemed to be a complete understanding of the situation.
"My dad and I would talk all the time about controlling what you can control," Jett said. "I look back at it and I came in with a stacked defense that was here with [former MSU linebackers] Willie [Gay, Jr.], Erroll [Thompson], Tim [Washington], Leo [Lewis]. All those guys were just dudes.
"It's hard. It's hard to play right away anyway, especially when you have some dudes in front of you. What I always say is just control the input and the output will take care of itself. You have to stack days. You can't worry about sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions or any of that. You just have to stack days and eventually, the fruits of your labor will show up."
In 2021's season opener, opportunity knocked for Jett. He was more than ready to answer the door.
Jett nearly doubled his career tackle total in one day as he racked up four stops in limited playing time in a win over Louisiana Tech. He also caught the eye of his defensive coordinator, Zach Arnett.
"In the meeting that following Sunday, Coach Arnett was like, 'You didn't get just a ton of reps, but the reps you did get, you produced on just about all of them,'" Jett said. "[Arnett is] a big production guy. He was like, 'Don't be surprised if you get thrown in there a lot more.'"
A week later against N.C. State, fellow linebacker Nathaniel Watson suffered an injury and Jett was called upon to help absorb the blow. He proved his showing seven days prior was no fluke.
Jett had nine tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass against the Wolfpack. Jett Johnson had indeed arrived.
By the time the season was done, Jett was Mississippi State's leading tackler. Pro Football Focus gave Johnson an All-Southeastern Conference honor. The boy who used to root on Bulldog stars had grown up and become one himself.
He waited. He worked. And it all paid off.
"The thing that I love about Jett is I've never seen him give up," Greg said. "He just never, ever gives up. He's not going to."
NOT DONE YET
Johnson says his next step is to keep on keeping on.
"The hardest thing is now, once you get a little publicity and everybody patting you on the back, you can't get complacent," Jett said.
Seems as though there's very little chance of that happening. We're talking about a guy who simply knows no other way than to give maximum effort. It doesn't matter if it's on the field, in the weight room or in the meeting room, and that focus makes himself – and all those around him – better.
"He's locked in," Watson said of Jett. "He'll ask questions sometimes that'll cause [linebackers coach Matt Brock] to over-answer the question. He's locked in 24/7, all the time. Having that kind of linebacker in there with you and on the field with you, it helps a lot. I know if I mess up on something, he's always going to correct me. He's a hard-working, blue-collar guy, which is what this program is built on. He's a workhorse."
Adds Jett: "I tell myself every day, I'm still trying to earn a job and still trying to win a job."
That kind of attitude probably comes at least a little easier to Johnson than most. For one, he seems to just be wired that way. But two, he's doing the very thing he always wanted.
This was his dream. But now, it's not a dream at all. This is so very much real. There is no waking up from all this for Jett, and sometimes, he still can't believe it.
"I thank God every day," Johnson said. "I'm literally living my dream. Not a lot of people get to say that. I'm so thankful. Even if I didn't have the production I've had, I'm still out here living the dream. It's just a bonus to be helping the defense, too."
